Americas free-speech model is in desperate need of an update, says an American-Muslim human rights activist who recently spoke at an event linked to an Obama administration appointee.

Dr. Qasim Rashid argued that cyber-bullying laws could be used to limit freedom of expression  such as the burning of Korans -- in war time:

When a nation is at war, many things that might be said in times of peace are a hindrance to this effort, Rashid said on March 19 at Howard University. And their utterance will not be endured so long as men fight and no court can regard them as protected by any constitutional right.

Rashid began his remarks by personally thanking Dr. Azizah al-Hibri, appointed by President Barack Obama to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in June 2011. Al-Hibri founded Karamah, a group devoted to the rights of Muslim women, and it was this group that invited Rashid to speak.

I do want to start by thanking Karamah, Rashid said. I was fortunate enough to have several constitutional scholars look at this paper and provide feedback. Dr. al-Hibri, of course 

The topic of the March 19 event at Howard University was titled, The Limits of Free Speech in a Global Era: Does Americas Free Speech Model Endanger Muslim Americans?

Our understanding of free speech today is not some long-held 227- or 235-year understanding, said Rashid, a member of the Muslim Writers Guild of America, who presented a paper titled In Harms Way: The Desperate Need to Update Americas Current Free Speech Model.

Rashid quoted Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who in 2011 said, Free speech is a great idea, but we're in a war.

Advances in technology that allow videos and messages to cross the world in an instant require a revised speech model, Rashid said.

Most, if not all of you are familiar with the 2011 case where Terry Jones, a pastor from Florida, burned a Koran on March 20, 2011, and this event itself provides a prime example of the gap that advanced technology caused in America's free speech model, Rashid said.

So in addition to placing a big sign on his church lawn that said Islam is the devil, Jones burned the Koran, screened it live on the Internet and put in layman's translations so that people in war-torn [areas] in particular can see what he's doing, he continued. Now like the hypothetical KKK member who might burn a cross on his black neighbors lawn to target him specifically, Jones did the exact same thing by burning the Koran -- broadcast it and targeted Muslims in a war- torn country to target them specifically.

Rashid noted that government officials warned Jones that his actions might provoke violence, and while Jones said he knew it, he burned the Koran anyway, sparking deadly protests in Afghanistan and a condemnation by Pakistans government.

Using the Koran burning as an example, Rashid said that cyber-bullying legislation could be used to prosecute individuals for their speech on a case-by-case basis.

My argument is that we already have legislation, right? he said. I mean, we already have a cyber-bullying policy in all 50 states that even without the threat of violence  even without violence occurring, we're already holding individuals responsible for this intentional infliction of harm on others.

So I think that legislation's already there, Rashid said. It's just more a question of how is it going to be applied.

According to the Cyber-bullying Research Center, 49 states have bullying statutes and 16 states have cyber-bullying laws, which can prosecute individuals for electronic bullying.

In Arkansas, for example, a person can be charged with a Class B misdemeanor if they engage in communications online with the purpose to frighten, coerce, intimidate, threaten, abuse, harass, or alarm another person.

According to the Investigative Project on Terrorism, Dr. al-Hibri sat on the National Advisory Board of the American Muslim Council (AMC) from 1991 to 1998 with AMC Executive Director Abdurahman Alamoudi. Alamoudi was later sentenced to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty to terrorism charges for his involvement in an assassination plot of then- Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah.

In June 2011, President Obama appointed Dr. al-Hibri to the USCIRF, an eight member federal body that monitors religious freedom conditions abroad and recommends policies that will enhance freedom where it is imperiled.

Dr. al-Hibri founded Karamah in 1993, one year after she became the first Muslim female law professor in the United States. She has written extensively on women's issues, democracy, and human rights from an Islamic perspective, her biography says.

Karamah said that Dr. al-Hibri is out of the country and was not available for comment.

Fight who? Fight how? Vote? Yeah, that worked out well. Write to my elected officials? They only listen to donors. Pray? I’ve prayed and prayed and prayed. Prayed Obama wouldn’t be elected the first time and the second time.

If you can tell me something concrete to do that will make a difference, I will gladly do it.

Qasim Rashid, BSc, JD, is an American-Muslim human rights activist, writer, and lecturer on American-Islamic Issues. He received his Bachelors of Science in Business-Marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed his Juris Doctorate at Richmond Law. The Richmond Law Faculty selected Qasim from his graduating class to receive the prestigious Nina Kestin Service Award for unsurpassed contribution to the University, the surrounding community, and to legal scholarship.

Qasim is a national spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA (the Nations first American-Muslim organization) and serves as a Volunteer Chaplain for the Virginia State Prison system. Prior to completing his JD, Qasim worked for several years in both the education and telecommunication sectors.<

SkyDancer, that was not the response I hoped for. I want to know what can be done to fight for our country and how we go about it in a way that will make a difference. Words are cheap and have no affect that I can see. How are you going to fight??? Who are you going to fight?

Leaving the country because you don’t want to be an American anymore is one option I said. You’re saying basically the same thing(s) that pre-Revoluntion Americans were saying - of which maybe 30% fought the British for independence. You’re typical of the people who just want to give up as everything is hopeless. Look at the guy who started the Tea Party movement. One person. You want to give up, okay, fine. Just don’t go around whining about how nothing can be done.

23
posted on 03/26/2013 1:56:04 PM PDT
by SkyDancer
(Live your life in such a way that the Westboro church will want to picket your funeral.)

Leaving the country because you dont want to be an American anymore is one option I said.

I moved to the Philippines this month.

Great CHRISTIAN people, warm climate, beautiful islands, and CHEAP cost-of-living! I'm going to the market this morning to buy some 8-12 sized shrimp for dinner. They cost about $6.50 per kilo, in Philippine Pesos! I also can buy fresh veggies, and most anything else I want. I had fried chicken in town yesterday, and a half-decent pizza ($6 for 2 large Hawaiians)) before that!!

I have been living at the beach until yesterday, but now am starting a house on a mountain, near my wife's family property, overlooking 7 of the 7107 islands in the Archipelago and some fantastic sunsets!

25
posted on 03/26/2013 2:22:07 PM PDT
by WVKayaker
("I've seen how nasty it can be for other conservatives as well. "-Sarah Palin 12/17/12)

Hope you’re allowed to have a gun for self defense when those lovely Muslims that live there decide to go all whoopie on you. There’s a big Muslim terror group that hangs out there and every so often when their coconut milk goes off, they do also.

26
posted on 03/26/2013 2:41:00 PM PDT
by SkyDancer
(Live your life in such a way that the Westboro church will want to picket your funeral.)

As long as you do not..
Want to own a gun
Say something politically incorrect
Purchase a soda bigger than 16 oz
Plan on keeping what you worked for and earned
Find your strength in your religious faith rather than surrender to the government

Other than these, and a few more liberties and constitutional rights.... You are Free

I will say what ever I want to about the pedophile cult of islam when ever I darn well please. Those who do not wish to see it or hear it can look the other way, get used to it, or get over it. I will not change that.

I don't need a gun. As Paul said, "to live is Christ, to die is gain"'! I have a pretty powerful force to protect me, and fear nothing but getting decrepit!

As for the Mooselimbs, they don't operate near me. I only have some communists to be concerned about. Five years ago, they killed a local police chief (and later also killed his son), just down the road from my wife's family lands.

Filipina wife will be getting a license for a shotgun!!!!!!!!!!!

40
posted on 03/26/2013 9:46:01 PM PDT
by WVKayaker
("I've seen how nasty it can be for other conservatives as well. "-Sarah Palin 12/17/12)

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